"Google will soon nerf the Pixel 6a’s battery."

raccoondad

vagr I'm in Canada but I'm not sure if I've ever seen a Google Store here

American here, I don't think there are ANY google stores, not too sure. You usually just by from store.google.com

argante

vagr Pixel 6?
https://www.ifixit.com/products/google-pixel-6-battery-genuine
https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Google+Pixel+6+Battery+Replacement/148798

boarim

I bought mine in October 2022 and I’m at 374 cycles at the moment…damn it! But I’m using the official charger since the beginning.

I’ll have to change the battery soon I guess if this software protection is ported to GrapheneOS.

Pocketstar

I can confirm cycles wil be at 0 (zero) when replacing batteries, I replaced my battery on my Pixel 7 a couple of months ago.

I also ordered two replacement batteries from iFixit for my two family members that have a Pixel 6a with over 600 cycles to prevent fire hazards. (Make sure you download the replacement manual (PDF) from their site as well)
You can check the current battery capacity in the settings menu to see if it needs a replacement.

Btw, make sure you don't unlock the battery connector with a METAL tool, use a PLASTIC one. (It got me some sparks on the Pixel 7, jikes, sometimes I can be a bit of a moron doing these things, lol)

Quantum

Pocketstar When you say the "battery capacity" do you mean the battery health that is displayed in %?

The stats there don't work at all it seems...
https://discuss.grapheneos.org/d/22384-battery-health-stats

DeletedUser433

Are replacement batteries really new or were they manufactured at the same time as all other batteries during release

argante

DeletedUser433 I don't know how to answer. The battery has its own counter, so the customer will know what he bought. So it is not worth selling fake batteries. I always buy from authorized suppliers. I think laptop batteries are more likely to be counterfeited.

DeletedUser433

argante I don't know what the counter is, I was wondering whether replacement batteries were manufactured at a later date and thus were less degraded

DeletedUser433

DeletedUser299 I remember reading about Pixel 4a's update of death, many Pixel users were claiming it wouldn't happen again but it's now happened to 6a. The Pixel fanbase is almost as bad as Apple's, they'll excuse almost anything especially the mediocre, overheating, inefficient chip which only has security going for it (most people don't even buy it for the security). It's a mystery why people keep buying from this brand

DeletedUser299

DeletedUser433 It's a mystery why people keep buying from this brand"
Because its easy... Turn it on, put in your G@@gle credentials and hey presto, it lights up like a slot machine at a Vegas convention, happy days...

frankfurter

vagr If I understand the article right, this problem isn't related to the OS but the hardware. Such a bummer. I've been using this phone since release and I would hate to replace or stop using this one.

article says the next firmware/software from g@ggl will bring the limiting countdown.
Now we need info whether GOS will pass through this 'upgrade' on us or do the smart thing to remove it

GrapheneOS

Official Pixel battery replacement kits are sold via iFixit so you can replace worn out batteries with a new one if you're impacted by this.

DeletedUser433

GrapheneOS are they new batteries or leftover ones that were produced at the same time as all the others but weren't sold?

Zeekunst

GrapheneOS What I can't find in this discussion is whether the nerf-update from Google will come through when using Graphene? I'm now at 275 cycles on my Pixel 6a, and doubting if I should keep an eye on that manually, or just wait for the update-notification?

DeletedUser299

DeletedUser433
Its likely the battery in a Pixel 6 fits many other devices, and would have been an off the shelf item when the Pixel 6 was manufactured. If you were to design a battery for a limited run of phones, you could get stuck with an over order of batteries that eventuall fit nothing but a discontinued device. Better just use a generic easily available power source. The turnover of batteries into several different devices would keep the possibility of buying a new ' old' battery low, but not impossible.

Kiba

Fortunately, this doesn't affect the Pixel 6.

My battery is from February 2022 and shows... 908 cycles !

Eirikr70

From what I understand, in order to avoid the risk of the battery heating and catching fire, Google will reduce the capacity and the loading speed of the battery. Does it mean you HAVE to change the battery (or the phone) in order the mitigate the risk, or can you just go on with the new settings ?

trashaccount

Eirikr70 You can still use it.

Pocketstar

Quantum Indeed, I meant the percentage, but is is always good to check the amount of cycles used as well in case of Pixel 6a's.
But your battery health should be fine as far as I can see, I have had 600+ cycles on my girlfriends's 6a, and her battery sits at a 96% capacity, I believe 800-1000 cycles should give people 80% or something, I'm not sure.
But considering the fire hazard of the 6a it might be a good idea to replace the battery sooner than that...

twitheatrophonic

Checked 2 3 days ago, pixel 6a, was around 916

Quantum

Pocketstar Battery health doesn't work at all on GOS, so people need to look at cycles and just see how the battery performs.

Does the battery health seem to work on her Pixel 6? Guessing there is stock on it?

Pocketstar

https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/15738128?hl=en

On Google's site is says:

"Replace your battery
Lithium-ion batteries have a limited number of charge cycles and will eventually need to be replaced. We recommend you replace your battery for:

Pixel 3 through Pixel 8 Pro and Pixel Fold: When it's less than 80% remaining capacity or reaches 800 cycles.
Pixel 8a and later: When it's less than 80% remaining capacity or reaches 1000 cycles.
To know your battery health status, check your battery health and battery capacity."

They say essentially it is best to replace the battery at either 800-1000 cycles (depending on the phone model) or when the capacity reaches 80%.